Latest developments in technology for delivering power and data in wireless infrastructure use hybrid cables, wherein the term “hybrid cable” is intended to mean a cable that includes both power conductors and one or more fiber optic cords or cables. An exemplary hybrid cable is the HFF cable, available from CommScope, Inc. (Joliet, Ill.). Unlike RF-based systems, a single hybrid trunk cable can be used to power multiple sectors, thereby eliminating multiple runs of RF cable. However, in order to use a single hybrid trunk cable, at some point the trunk cable must transition to jumper cables or cords. Typically, these are distributed inside an enclosure that transitions the trunk conductor gauge to the jumper conductor gauge and connects the optical fibers in the trunk to the optical fibers in the jumper cables.
Currently, transitions are achieved by making connections inside the enclosure, requiring it to be opened, cables to be fed/mated to the enclosure, and power and fiber connections to be made, all in the field (e.g., on the top of antenna tower sites near a remote radio unit (RRU)). This practice can create many issues for installers, including time, safety, connection errors (such as loose power connections and/or poor fiber cleaning), and more opportunity for connector damage.
In addition, at some sites it is desirable to provide overvoltage protection (OVP) for the RRU. OVP is usually supplied via a separate mounted enclosure that is connected to the power conductors of a hybrid cable. Jumper cords are then connected from the mounted enclosure to RRUs. These additional connection add time and expense to the interconnection process. It may be desirable to provide additional configurations for providing OVP at the top of an antenna tower.